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dwayneed
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Because you like skunky beer that will kill you in the morning?
Grolsch
- Thread starter hannaugh
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ByteFrenzy
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I've been giving this 'favourite beer' thing some serious thought and I think it just comes down to variety. I really enjoyed the Efes when I was in Istanbul, when I'm in Germany I'll usually have Weizenbier or Hefebier, in Switzerland I usually have Calanda (although I enjoy it less now that they have been annexed by Heineken), in France I've had a couple of very nice beers from local micro-breweries, and here at home I just have one of five or six favourites depending on the situation. Jupiler, Westmalle, Leffe, Lindemans, De Koninck, Palm.
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guitlouie
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Whoa, buddy. I realize that living in the south makes me a raving ignoramus to the intellectual yankees, but I didn't know that it's why I have such horrible taste as well. FWIW, I wasn't born and raised here in the south, but still, your comments are rather general.
Didn't mean to cause offense. Everywhere I've ever been in the South the beer has sucked, that's all. Love your BBQ and lots of other southern stuff, don't get me wrong. If I had a chance to move to the research triangle in NC, or Austin, or a bunch of other places I would jump at it. But I would probably miss good beer. It's 20 degrees here, there's two feet of snow on the ground, the traffic will turn it into gray sludge within hours, and I pay close to $3k in rent yet don't have enough space for 7 or 8 guitars. Beer ain't the only thing in life.
I love it.bpmorton777
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So, Hannaugh
can you tell us how the bottle caps are used as strap-locks?
Brian
can you tell us how the bottle caps are used as strap-locks?
Brian
Why yes, I can tell you how to use them. 1) Put strap on strap button. 2) Put gasket on button on top of the strap. That's all you have to do. Your strap will not come off, I tested it.
But back to the beer conversation:
This is why Bevmo needs to be in every state. You can get hundreds of different beers from all over the country and all over the world. Though, you can still order from them and have them ship you the beer or wine or rootbeer keg, or whatever floats your boat at their website.
If you seriously think that there is no "good" domestic beer, you're not looking hard enough, because I have had tons of awesome micro brews. Bud, MGD, and Coors are disgusting, but some of the micro brews are amazing. Fullerton has like 5 places within 5 miles that have 100+ different brews on tap, so I try something new every time.
My favs are anything by Anderson Valley (but especially the Summer Solstice), Pete's Wicked Strawberry Blonde, Alaskan Smoked Porter, Karl Strauss Red Trolley, Old Rasputin Imperial Russian Stout, anything by the Kona Brewing Company, and of course, Stone Brewing is classic. Some of the seasonal Sam Adams are really good on tap too, like the Winter Ale and Old Fezziwig.
I challenge anyone who thinks American beer is all watery to try Stone's Double Bastard Ale... it's like getting kicked in the face by a horse. I usually hold my liquor pretty well, but that stuff makes my face red after half a glass.
If you don't like lager, just say you don't like lager. It is not the right beer for some people, but that doesn't make it watery. It is a difficult style to brew, much more complex than brewing a stout. I would give Grolsch a modest review, I only bought it for the strap locks. But it's not gross, and it isn't weak like Bud, MGD, and Coors or any of the other huge macrobrews that try to rip you off by not using any decent ingredients. It's just a lager.
I prefer amber or red ales and stouts of course, but I like a lager in the right context. A stout is just not what you need when it is 100 outside, and it doesn't go down well with tacos or bbq. That's what lagers are for.
There are hardly any styles I won't drink, but I usually steer clear of IPAs (unless I'm REALLY in the mood for a mouthful of hops) and Belgian ales. I don't know what it is about this one particular Belgian style, but to me it has an aftertaste of tree bark, and I don't like that. Fat Tire is a perfect example of it. It's like when you're in the forest and it rains, and everything smells like wet tree bark... that's what it tastes like to me. Abbey Leffe Blonde tastes like that too. I don't know what it is, it must be some random ingredient that only that style has.
If I'm drinking imports, they pretty much all come from England, Ireland (ah, the land of Beamish Stout!), or Scotland. I also like some German beers and all of the Cooper's brews from Australia.
But back to the beer conversation:
This is why Bevmo needs to be in every state. You can get hundreds of different beers from all over the country and all over the world. Though, you can still order from them and have them ship you the beer or wine or rootbeer keg, or whatever floats your boat at their website.
If you seriously think that there is no "good" domestic beer, you're not looking hard enough, because I have had tons of awesome micro brews. Bud, MGD, and Coors are disgusting, but some of the micro brews are amazing. Fullerton has like 5 places within 5 miles that have 100+ different brews on tap, so I try something new every time.
My favs are anything by Anderson Valley (but especially the Summer Solstice), Pete's Wicked Strawberry Blonde, Alaskan Smoked Porter, Karl Strauss Red Trolley, Old Rasputin Imperial Russian Stout, anything by the Kona Brewing Company, and of course, Stone Brewing is classic. Some of the seasonal Sam Adams are really good on tap too, like the Winter Ale and Old Fezziwig.
I challenge anyone who thinks American beer is all watery to try Stone's Double Bastard Ale... it's like getting kicked in the face by a horse. I usually hold my liquor pretty well, but that stuff makes my face red after half a glass.
If you don't like lager, just say you don't like lager. It is not the right beer for some people, but that doesn't make it watery. It is a difficult style to brew, much more complex than brewing a stout. I would give Grolsch a modest review, I only bought it for the strap locks. But it's not gross, and it isn't weak like Bud, MGD, and Coors or any of the other huge macrobrews that try to rip you off by not using any decent ingredients. It's just a lager.
I prefer amber or red ales and stouts of course, but I like a lager in the right context. A stout is just not what you need when it is 100 outside, and it doesn't go down well with tacos or bbq. That's what lagers are for.
There are hardly any styles I won't drink, but I usually steer clear of IPAs (unless I'm REALLY in the mood for a mouthful of hops) and Belgian ales. I don't know what it is about this one particular Belgian style, but to me it has an aftertaste of tree bark, and I don't like that. Fat Tire is a perfect example of it. It's like when you're in the forest and it rains, and everything smells like wet tree bark... that's what it tastes like to me. Abbey Leffe Blonde tastes like that too. I don't know what it is, it must be some random ingredient that only that style has.
If I'm drinking imports, they pretty much all come from England, Ireland (ah, the land of Beamish Stout!), or Scotland. I also like some German beers and all of the Cooper's brews from Australia.
ByteFrenzy
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hannaugh said:
Could be yeast. These beers have a final round of fermentation in the bottle, so there's a dose of yeast in there too. That's why you should let the bottle rest a while before drinking, pour slowly, and stop pouring when you see residue ready to leave the bottle. If you don't respect that you're likely to get an internal flushing of epic proportions. That taste is a good part of why I don't really go for the blonde trappist beers, not the ordinary ones and cetainly not the 'trippel's. The dark beers don't have that taste, or at least not as pronounced.
Another particularity of some of the Belgian beers is that they contain a lot of hops. While hops is essential to the brewing process a high dosage of it can result in a very pervasive taste.
Some of the US IPAs have ridiculous amounts of fresh hops added, to me they smell like mary jane in some cases. If you've ever had the chance to smell or taste actual fresh hops, there is a real resemblance. British IPAs don't tend to be as crazy with the hops. My grandma's house was in the middle of a bunch of hop farms, in Mulino, OR.
Also true: Lager has a lot going for it, but the term 'lager' in the US (and maybe in the UK to some extent) has been confused with 'low-quality beer with lots of corn or rice added instead of barley'. Germany and Central Europe make some amazing lagers of course.
Also true: US Wheat beer is awful. Even if it's really hot out and you're dying of thirst. But Germany makes some pretty darn drinkable wheat beers. There's a little bar in Venice beach in LA which sells huge amounts of fresh draft Urdinger hefeweizen, you can watch the freak show roll by and get awfully buzzed hanging out there.
Also true: Lager has a lot going for it, but the term 'lager' in the US (and maybe in the UK to some extent) has been confused with 'low-quality beer with lots of corn or rice added instead of barley'. Germany and Central Europe make some amazing lagers of course.
Also true: US Wheat beer is awful. Even if it's really hot out and you're dying of thirst. But Germany makes some pretty darn drinkable wheat beers. There's a little bar in Venice beach in LA which sells huge amounts of fresh draft Urdinger hefeweizen, you can watch the freak show roll by and get awfully buzzed hanging out there.
Nick Ellingworth
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tfarny said:
The problem with Lager in the UK (and probably the US too) is that there's no tradition of brewing it so for the most part is only brewed by the large mass market producers, therefore it's utter shit. Certainly European lager is very different to UK/US lager but it won't stop me viewing it as fizzy rubbish only to be drunk with a curry as an alternative to water.
Yes, mass market American beers = crap. I don't mind drinking some of them if I think of them as beer-aid, so as long as they aren't gross tasting. Rolling Rock is like drinking water, but it's not like drinking nasty water like Bud. If Rolling Rock is all that is available, I'll take one. If Bud is all that is available, I'll take root beer. Luckily though, Guinness is pretty widely available now. So if there is nothing else I like, I've got the old stout standby.
I actually like hoppy beers on occasion. I just have to be in the mood. Stone IPA is crazy. When you open the bottle, it smells like flowers instantly. It tastes like the ultimate bitterness mixed with citrus and flowers. It's good if I'm feeling like drinking that type of thing, but I wouldn't buy it every day. I did actually get to smell some fresh hops when I was in Winston-Salem NC. That was fun! It made me want a beer.
Which American wheat beers are awful? Names!
I actually like hoppy beers on occasion. I just have to be in the mood. Stone IPA is crazy. When you open the bottle, it smells like flowers instantly. It tastes like the ultimate bitterness mixed with citrus and flowers. It's good if I'm feeling like drinking that type of thing, but I wouldn't buy it every day. I did actually get to smell some fresh hops when I was in Winston-Salem NC. That was fun! It made me want a beer.
Which American wheat beers are awful? Names!
Super Turbo Deluxe Custom
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tfarny said:
I wasn't referring to quality, but the reaction the Japanese have to it. Suddenly, doors are opened and your money is no good if you'll barter with the Buds.
Super Turbo Deluxe Custom
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I like what I like, and that's the only good beer to me. I'll try anything, but this, "Oh, ________ isn't real beer. All _______ beer sucks. You need to try ________ and such barley, hop, wheat, malt, stout, lager, pale ale to truly appreciate it," I could care less about.
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guitlouie
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Tfarny, I was kind of kidding, there buddy. I have noticed a stigma for all things Southern since I've been living here, which is now about as long as I lived in New Hampshire, where I was born and raised. I will admit to having had the same pre-determination when I was 19 and we were moving here. I was like, "we're going where?", but it ain't all Rednecks and Southern Belles around here. Anyway, there are two great Breweries around here. Big Boss Brewing is right here in Raleigh, and they have some righteous brews, like Bad Penny Ale and Helles Belles (Great name as well, in my opinion), And Duck Rabbit brewery is close by as well, their Milk Stout is incredible, if something of a meal in a bottle. Also Highlander Gaelic Ale out of Asheville NC is great. Anyway, I wasn't really offended, I just think there are some great Southern Brews that don't deserve the slagging.
Blue Moon, Pyramid, and Widmer are three wheat beers that totally suck. imhop.
STDC, you are welcome to like what you like of course! No point in arguing that. But beer that isn't made with 100% barley isn't even called 'beer' in a lot of places including Germany. Adding corn and the stuff that the big American brewers use is like adding everclear and water to your whiskey. Still gets you drunk, but it sure ain't the same thing.
And here's my SAT question and answer for the younger guys -
Miller high life : high quality local beer :: spaghettiO's : nice fresh pasta
STDC, you are welcome to like what you like of course! No point in arguing that. But beer that isn't made with 100% barley isn't even called 'beer' in a lot of places including Germany. Adding corn and the stuff that the big American brewers use is like adding everclear and water to your whiskey. Still gets you drunk, but it sure ain't the same thing.
And here's my SAT question and answer for the younger guys -
Miller high life : high quality local beer :: spaghettiO's : nice fresh pasta
That's great to hear, GL. I always look for nice beer when I travel and I guess I just haven't found it yet in the South.
I'll be coming down to Chapel Hill sometime in the summer and will do my best to sample the local stuff as I always do. Oh, and I'm not actually a Yankee either - grew up in OR, Uni and grad school in CA with a long stint in the Far East in between. 6 months and counting in the NE.
[for international members, "yankee" from one American to another means somebody from the East Coast, north of Washington DC. It doesn't mean 'any American cheesehead', like it does in the rest of the world.]
I'll be coming down to Chapel Hill sometime in the summer and will do my best to sample the local stuff as I always do. Oh, and I'm not actually a Yankee either - grew up in OR, Uni and grad school in CA with a long stint in the Far East in between. 6 months and counting in the NE.
[for international members, "yankee" from one American to another means somebody from the East Coast, north of Washington DC. It doesn't mean 'any American cheesehead', like it does in the rest of the world.]
I'm okay with Pyramid. It is refreshing when it is hot outside. Blue Moon and Widmer are just boring, but they don't taste gross to me.
It is ridiculous to claim that beer made out of anything but barley isn't beer. What about oatmeal stout? You can't just cut out entire styles of brew and say that they're not beer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer
It is ridiculous to claim that beer made out of anything but barley isn't beer. What about oatmeal stout? You can't just cut out entire styles of brew and say that they're not beer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer
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